If you want to feel truly satisfied in life, getting married could be the answer.
People who are married and in committed relationships have significantly higher life satisfaction on average than people who are single, a study of more than 65 countries has found.
Researchers asked people if their life was close to ideal, if they would change almost nothing given their time again, and if they had experienced the most important things in life.
The ratings were compared for almost 57,000 people across the world, in countries including the UK, US, France, Italy, Japan and Thailand.
Life satisfaction was highest in married people and those in committed relationships, and also in those who reported greater financial security.
Older people, aged 45 and over, were slightly more satisfied with their lives than those of a younger age.
The researchers suggest a wider circle of friends, from married people sharing their lives, could help provide a sense of belonging.
A life partner tends to make hardships more bearable, and encourage healthy behaviours, which can reduce the chances of illness, leading to a more satisfying life.
Professor Viren Swami, who led the study from Anglia Ruskin University, said: ‘People who are married and in serious relationships have a sense that they are cared for and loved, that they really matter.
‘That can have a real impact on life satisfaction, as can the small demonstrations of love in a romantic relationship, like someone cooking you a meal.
‘We know that having a partner encourages you to be healthier, because they might encourage you to eat better, go for a walk, or see a doctor when something is wrong.
‘Plus people in committed relationships tend to have a wider circle, because they are brought into their partner’s social network, and that feeling of belonging to a community can increase life satisfaction.’
The study, published in the journal PLOS One, looked at 56,968 people who were part of a study on exposure to nature and wellbeing – about half of whom were married or in a committed relationship.
These people were asked to rate how much they agreed with five statements used to judge life satisfaction.
These included ‘so far I have got the most important things in life’ and ‘if I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing’.
The other three statements asked if people were satisfied with their life, if the conditions of their life were excellent and if, in most ways, their life was close to ideal.
People who were married or in a committed relationship had higher life satisfaction, although this may have been more important at the time the study was conducted, which was during the height of the Covid pandemic, when people in some countries were confined to their homes and relied more on loved ones.
Life satisfaction was slightly higher in people who had achieved at least a secondary school education but financial security seemed to be the most important factor for feeling satisfied in life.
Researchers also compared different age groups, looking at people aged 18 to 24, 25 to 44 and those aged 45 and over.
The older the age group, the more satisfied people were, although age only made a small difference.
Professor Swami said: ‘Older people have had more time to figure out what makes them happy, and to do more of it, which is important for wellbeing.
‘They may also have more financial security, which is important.’
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